


The mysterious accident of the Christmas chocolate cake.

by Discontinuous Qualia (Sechzehn)



Category: Persona 5
Genre: But it's spoiler-free, Christmas Party, M/M, Matchmaker!Maruki, Post Royal, Slightly spicy at the end?, Sort Of, Underage Drinking, no beta we die like men, shuake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:01:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21536380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sechzehn/pseuds/Discontinuous%20Qualia
Summary: It's just a Christmas party among close friends, what could really go wrong?Ren really doesn’t know how they were even able to hang that mistletoe on the lightbulb of the lamp above one of the booths but the eyes alight with interest of Maruki-sensei and Yoshizawa-san don’t do a very good job in shooing away his suspicions.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 9
Kudos: 167





	The mysterious accident of the Christmas chocolate cake.

**Author's Note:**

> I-I know that we're not even in December, but [this lovely fanart](https://twitter.com/Shoujo_Shark/status/1197588879156662272/photo/1) just hit all my weaknesses and I just had to write this thingie (which will probably have its fair share of mistakes, since I couldn't find a beta reader for it).  
> It's just fluff and stupid humor with a hint of spice (?) at the end, but I wouldn't bet too much on it because I'm not very good at writing this kind of stuff (and maybe I'm not very good at writing at all xD)  
> This is set a year and a half after the end of Royal, but I made sure to stay vague so that this fic could be read by anyone without spoiling the game.

The first victims are Ryuji and Ann.

Leblanc’s door opens with its usual jingle and reveals Makoto and Sae-san’s smiling faces, cheeks and nose red from the cold and snowflakes tangled in their hair. Their lips form the hint of a greeting that transforms into a perfect “o” shape at the sound of the bickering voices behind them.   
  
“Geez, how many do I have to tell you that heated pants are not a good Christmas pre-”, Ann’s lovely figure, clad in a brown coat and a warm-looking red muffler, clashes against the women on the doorstep, followed by the blond mop of Ryuji’s hair.

  
“What the-”   
  
The Niijima sisters stumble beyond the threshold, into the warm and cozy atmosphere of the café and everyone’s eyes are busy in coming and going between them and the two teenagers. Ren feels dread at the incoming and unforgiving words of the stern duo and meets Goro’s vaguely amused gaze with a silent prayer.   
  
“Oh, it looks like Sakamoto-kun and Takamaki-chan will be the ones to open the dances, tonight.” Maruki Takuto’s eyes wander from Ryuji and Ann’s dumbfounded faces to something above their heads and light up with childish excitement. A quiet laugh escapes from Sojiro’s throat behind the counter.

“Mistletoe, huh? To be young and without a worry…”   
  
It’s amusing in a sort of sadistic way seeing how the color drains from Ann and Ryuji’s faces at Sojiro's words or at the expectant gleam in Yoshizawa-san’s eyes.   
  
“Are you going to do it, Sakamoto-senpai, Takamaki-senpai?” She’s so genuinely excited at the thought that Ren almost feels bad for his friends. Being a respectable upperclassman is a hard task.   
  
Ryuji’s eyes widen so much that his eyebrows might reach his hairline and Ren has to use all of his willpower to stifle a laugh at the scene.   
  
“N-no way!”, his friend sputters.   
  
“Y-yeah!” Ann nods with vigor, hands already in front of her.   
  
“Oh?” The smirk on Goro’s face has written “danger” all over it. It’s the hottest thing he’s ever seen and definitely promises that the ex- Detective Prince is up to no good. “Are you perhaps a coward, Sakamoto?”   
  
His friend seethes with rage at his wounded pride, fist clenched and a scowl directed at his accuser. Ren loves Ryuji but can’t help but think that he’s far too easy to manipulate.    
  
“Like hell I am!”, the blondie growls. 

Ann opens her mouth to say something but Ryuji cups her face between his hands and kisses her hard and tentative on her gloss-painted lips. Several gasps fill the room and both Maruki and Yoshizawa clap their hands with delight in seeing Ann close her eyes and kiss back.   
  
Satisfaction overflows from Goro’s widening smirk and he doesn’t even bother to hide it in front of the inquisitorial gazes of the witnesses. A true evil mastermind, indeed.   


§

  
Next are Futaba and Yusuke.

  
  
Ren really doesn’t know how they were even able to hang that mistletoe on the lightbulb of the lamp above one of the booths but the eyes alight with interest of Maruki-sensei and Yoshizawa-san don’t do a very good job in shooing away his suspicions. He glances at Goro and there’s no smirk on his face, only mild interest and curiosity.   
  
Futaba reaches a deep shade of red that makes her look very in theme with their celebration and Goro frowns slightly. Yusuke, on the other side, isn’t really fazed by the turn of the events, his hands already on Futaba’s petite shoulders even  under the scornful gaze of Sojiro.   
  
“I’d advise you to proceed with a certain degree of carefulness, Kitagawa-san”, Goro says with a far too casual tone not to sound vaguely concerned. He really does care for his friends. “I’m afraid that’s an art form Sakura-san is still not versed in.”   
  
Yusuke’s eyes light up with a sparkle of something that Ren doesn’t know if he should be afraid of. Silence fills the room and the artist leans over a very panicked Futaba to leave a brief and chaste kiss on her forehead.   
  
“I believe there’s no specific rule that states the typology of kiss one has to share with the other person”, Yusuke says with the hint of a smile on his lips.    
  
Futaba blabbers incoherent words and steps back to stumble into her seat in the booth. 

"F-Futaba-san, are you alright?" Yoshizawa looks so seriously concerned about their friend that Ren can't really hold back a smile. 

"Alright, alright, enough with the smooches already", Sojiro grumbles, a tray full of delicious-smelling food held in his hands. "Here, dinner's ready." 

"I smell… Sojiro's special chicken." Like a snake at the sound of the magic flute, Futaba snaps out of her panic-induced stupor and her hand reaches for a steaming plate. 

"Sakura-san's… Special chicken?", Yoshizawa asks, a spark of curiosity in her eyes. 

Futaba nods vigorously, her mouth full of meat. "Ish has Shojiro's spefial spice mix. Try ish."

Akechi, a plate in his hands, glances at the two girls with the barest hint of a smile. "They seem to get on quite well."

"Yeah", Ren nods. "I'm glad Futaba has someone her age to rely on at school, especially since Ann and Ryuji graduated as well."

"I heard that Sakamoto got back to running and was able to get a recommendation letter. I'm surprised."

His gaze searches for his friend, busy wolfing down a plate in a booth together with an ecstatic Yusuke. "Ryuji's very strong-willed. I guess that all we've been through has made us stronger."

Facing themselves and what life had taken from them had been painful but the bond all of them - even Goro - shared had been the strength that pushed them to look forward and grasp the future they were beginning to shape. 

Goro's eyes are pensive. "I never thought I'd have a future", he says and rests his chin on his hand. "Not after all I did, not after what happened."

"And yet you're here with us." Something in his chest swells at the thought and makes warmth bloom like one of the splendid Christmas flowers Haru has brought. Ren leans over the counter and Goro looks up. Their gazes meet. It's like their first meeting but, at the same time, it's completely different. There are no masks, between them, no metal shutters in the depths of a cognitive distortion. "You're here with me."

A flame flickers in Goro's irises and his gaze is so intense that Ren feels compelled to lose himself in it, to reciprocate with all the might of the chaotic whirlwind of feelings in his heart. 

"Oh. Looks like this time it's your turn, Amamiya-kun, Akechi-kun." Maruki has a big grin on his sauce stained mouth and Ren can see the very same dread that creeps up his spine drown whatever feeling was in Goro's eyes. From the lamp that lights the counter some mistletoe dangles ominously above their heads. 

It's not really a mystery that there's something unspoken between him and Goro, the blossom of feeling that the circumstances suffocated before it could fully bloom, but Ren wants to take his time to revel in it and understand what it really means. 

"I refuse", Goro deadpans without even bothering to look at Maruki. "I don't waste my time with meaningless traditions."

"But Akechi-san… it's a party, we just want to have fun together", Yoshizawa encourages with one of the sweetest smiles he's ever seen. "The mistletoe is just a means to bring people closer…"

Goro looks like he's about to concede defeat, lips pursed and eyes closed with a hint of fond exasperation, but then glances at him and his face is once again stern. 

"I think you should ask someone else, Yoshizawa-san. I'm not very fond of these games."

A light frown creases Yoshizawa's gentle face and she looks so forlorn that his heart breaks a little. It's no wonder even Goro has a soft spot for this sweet girl. 

"Then why don't you take Akechi-kun's place?" Maruki's expression is kind and warm, full of that gentleness that their ex-consuelor reserved especially to her. "You're the closest to him in terms of position."

The younger girl assumes a shade of red dangerously similar to the color of the bow in her hair. She looks up at him with adorable shyness and quickly returns her gaze to the floor. 

"I-I don't think I should k-k-kiss Amamiya-senpai." 

It's endearing how Yoshizawa still insists to address him as an upperclassman even if he graduated from high school that spring. She's so polite and easy to fluster that it makes him want to protect her. 

"You're thinking too much, Yoshizawa-chan", Haru says with a gentle chuckle. "You heard Yusuke-kun, right? You can just give him a peck on his cheek."

Shy eyes peek at him. "If senpai is alright with it…"

Ren shrugs with a small smile. He doesn't really mind as long as it's something platonic, and besides, they're just fulfilling Goro's request. 

Yoshizawa steps forward and he leans over the counter to offer his cheek, a chuckle on the verge of escaping from his lips at the way she squeezes her eyes shut. 

A sigh. "Alright, I'll do it." Goro's expression looks like he has swallowed an entire portion of extra-spicy takoyaki, but he plays it cool nonetheless. "I don't want to inconvenience Yoshizawa-san."

They exchange a scowl. Kissing Goro is fine, it would be just stupid and hypocritical not to admit that he's curious about it, about what he would taste like, about how he would feel. There's something that crosses the boundaries of reality between them and he just wants to discover its proper name, to understand if there's more to it than a simple promise. 

Yoshizawa looks like she has something to say and Maruki is far too delighted by the way their faces are inching closer to be completely innocent in his suggestion. The frown on Goro's face eases into something more unguarded, intent and Ren's throat goes dry at the way his own eyes wander to Goro's lips. He can see the shadows cast by long lashes on pale skin, the darker specks of mahogany against russet irises and catches them just where his own gaze was a moment before. Static fills his head. Lashes flutter shut with a tickle of warm breath against his lips and Ren just wants it, he wants this more than anything. 

A jingle. " 'right, cake's her- Just what the hell is happening in my café, tonight?" 

Goro shifts away so naturally that no one would have guessed they were on the verge of kissing ten seconds prior. Ren swallows mild disappointment and a chocolate cake that tastes like someone has poured a generous amount of liquor in it. 

§

Turns out the cake Sojiro bought from a famous shop in Shibuya really is a chocolate liquor cake and that his caretaker has just accidentally provided a group of underage people with enough alcohol to get tipsy Christmas greetings from each one of them.

Maybe it's the cake's fault or just his brain in one of its weird moments, but it's extremely amusing watching Sae-san, Maruki, and Sojiro accompanying his friends home among incoherent blabbering, giggles and desperate tears. Christmas is a blast. 

He forces himself to get up from his seat and staggers towards the kitchen. He's promised to clean up but he regrets it at the sight of the trash triplicating for a moment. Not good. 

"Hey Goro, you said you were going to help", he calls. 

Light steps thump on the wooden floor and Goro appears in the room. Ren unceremoniously drops the trash bag in his arms with a giggle, the definitely-not-amused expression on his face just too funny to ignore it. 

"In case I haven't told you enough times", Goro says and places the bag on the floor with a complete lack of care, "You're a fucking idiot, Ren."

He likes hearing Goro swear at him, there's always an imperceptible hint of fondness in his voice when he does it. The thumping gets louder, closer and the stern gaze of russet eyes is right in front of him. He wouldn't be surprised if he spotted his own heart run wildly on the kitchen's floor and make a huge fuss at the sudden proximity between them. 

"You ate it without batting an eye as well, and this makes you an idiot just as much as me."

"At least I'm not acting like a drunk idiot when I'm less than tipsy and far too tired." 

Ren sighs and leans back against the fridge. The increased gap between them is both soothing and frustrating. "You're no fun."

Goro looks like he's about to swear again but somehow his rage seems to quiet down with the release of a sigh. His bottle-green sweater is elegant and oddly fitting for the occasion, given that midnight has long passed and it's already the 25th. Ren shoves a hand in his pocket and throws its content at the boy in front of him as if it doesn't have any importance but Goro catches it anyway. 

"A fountain pen?" 

"Merry Christmas", he says cheekily. 

But the expression on Goro's face is neither angry nor mocking. He just looks at the object like he's not entirely sure it was meant for him to have, eyes focused on the black lacquered silhouette in his hands. 

"I suppose I should thank you." He doesn't look up and traces with surprising gentleness the silver point. "I don't have anything to give you, though." 

"I don't need anything in return, really. I just saw this and thought of you." And God, this is far too honest and embarrassing even for him now that it's out in the open. 

"You clearly have time to waste if you spend it thinking about me." He's harsh as usual, but his eyes are brighter and his cheeks show the barest hint of pink.

A surge of affection for Goro bubbles up in his chest. It's not the first time he gives him something, but it's the first time he does since there's this much honesty in their relationship and the thought of him looking so happy just because of something  _ he  _ gifted stirs a dangerous feeling within his heart. 

He shoves his hands in his pockets. The kitchen's monochromatic floor is of the utmost interest. "Well, usually my mind is filled with things I deem important."

"Ren." 

He likes his own name. He really, really likes it. He looks up and Goro is gazing at him with an intensity that makes his stomach knot. The flame in his eyes burns stronger, brighter and Ren doesn't back out, holds the other's gaze as if it's challenging him. 

Goro steps forward, looks at him like he's in pain and kisses him. 

It's so brief that it makes him wonder if it's the alcohol in that very nice cake that's playing him tricks but something falls from his head onto the floor. It's small and green with round, white berries. He feels like crushing it under his heel. 

"I didn't notice there was some mistletoe even here in the kitchen", he says instead. "Maruki-sensei and Yoshizawa have been very thorough with the decora-" 

"... Shut up."

This time definitely isn't the liquor. Goro's lips are slightly chapped, so warm it's unfair and kiss with a need that reminds him of the ferociousness that was his trademark in the Metaverse. 

Ren doesn't let go, stumbles backward until a thud briefly reminds him of the existence of the refrigerator and his hands fly to the collar of that stupidly attractive sweater to taste him better. 

The cake is far better like this, so much that's it addictive, so much that makes him want  _ more _ . Teeth nip and Ren just kisses harder at the growl that comes with the gesture, sighs Goro's name with a parting of lips and the roar of a heartbeat under his palm. 

He's never kissed anyone before but he would've acted like a horny idiot in love with his longtime rival much sooner if he had known how it would feel. 

A cool hand slips under his own ugly Christmas sweater - a matching courtesy from Futaba -, skids upwards just to caress every single vertebra on its path and Ren instinctively pushes a knee between Goro's legs. The room is unbearably hot and the soft, pleased moan that escapes from the other boy's lips makes him dizzier than their brushing of tongues. 

"I like you", he says among labored breaths. 

"A horrible decision, really", Goro scoffs with his most honest smirk. 

Lips latch onto the sensitive skin under the edge of his jaw and it feels so good that Ren just melts himself against the fridge, head tilted back. Is it really possible to want someone so much? The curve of a smile caresses his neck, suckles until goosebumps raise on every inch of his skin, moans at the hands that clumsily unbuckle Goro's belt and insinuate into his pressed trousers-

The sound of a throat clearing. "Geez, can't you at least go at it in the attic instead of desecrating my kitchen?" 

Ren opens his mouth in a poor attempt of voicing the cosmic void that has filled his head but his already thinning pride decrees that nothing can really save him when Sojiro can clearly see the bite marks on his neck and the hand that's palming the evident bulge in Goro's underwear. 

"Well, it's not like it's my business anyway. Just remember to lock up."

Christmas  _ definitely _ is a blast. 

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I... love the idea of Maruki being a Shuake shipper *cough* which isn't really far from canon *cough*.
> 
> You can find me on Twitter (@discqualia) if you want to scream about P5R and Shuake together!


End file.
